Storm of Love
by Apinapoikaerkki
Summary: AU: Cristina Yang's life was changed forever when Mother Nature's fury rained down upon her hometown. Years later, her family is still affected by the disaster. But when the storms once again gather to the sky of Iona, they bring with them a bunch of storm chasers - including a tortured man named Owen Hunt, whose fate seems to collide with Cristina's as the storm rises.
1. Prologue - Sleepless in Iona

**Author Notes:**** This story is loosely based on the 1996 film **_**Twister**_**. I'm not very good at writing news-English, so please pardon my unwieldy news reports. Like always, leave a review, please! I would like to know what you think about this story.**

* * *

A flash of lightning illuminated the night sky outside the window and tore apart Cristina Yang's dream. She opened her eyes and lifted her head from the warm surface of the pillow as the rumbling boom of thunder shook the house. She looked out the window and saw nothing but darkness outside. Streaks of water were running down the glass as the wind blew the rain against the window. As she sat upright, she could hear the wind howling outside, the raindrops drumming the roof, and the sound of the branches of the nearby tree banging against the wall.

Another lightning lit up the sky, the flash of light temporarily illuminating her. Her curly black hair was loose and messy, her face was pale, and her dark-brown eyes were staring cautiously out the window. She wore a gray t-shirt and light-brown PJ-pants, and on her left wrist she had a small silver bracelet – the last gift from her late father. As the lightning flashed, the bracelet gleamed like a silvery flame.

With a yawn, Cristina turned to see the alarm on her nightstand. The green digital numbers were clear in the darkness of the room: _01:03_. _At least the power's still on_, she thought and tossed the blanket aside. She didn't usually wake up during storms, and when she did, it was impossible for her to go back to sleep. The storm had blown away her sleep and there was no way to get it back, so her only option was to ride out the storm. _So much for the comfy bed_, she thought as she got up and left the room. Hearing noise from downstairs, she descended the stairs and walked to the living room, where her mom Helen was sitting in front of the TV, watching a news report.

"Hey, mom", she greeted her. "When did it start –"

"Shh", her mother hushed and raised her hand, motioning her to silence. Cristina furrowed her brows and walked closer to the TV in order to hear the news reporter.

"…_then hit the town of Walston around 0.35am, destroying most of the town, before dissipating. As you can see from the footage, the tornado was almost 200 meters wide, leaving behind a damage path 300 meters wide. No official definition has been made, but the tornado has been rumored to have been an EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, with wind speed up to 250 kilometers per hour._"

As the reporter talked, the screen shifted to video footage from Walston. Cristina felt a chill in her spine as she saw the tornado. A dark roaring funnel swept through the town, snapping trees in half, breaking walls and roofs, and tossing cars around like toys. It was nature's fury at its worst.

"Oh my God", Cristina said as the view changed back to the studio.

"_In Walston, it is feared that more than 20 people have been killed, making the number of victims 48. However, the death-toll in Walston would've been much higher if it hadn't been for some very brave storm chasers, who were able to get more than 30 people to safety in the Walston trailer park, where the tornado destroyed over 10 trailers. Our on-scene reporter Melissa Ferrey was able to interview these brave storm chasers. Melissa?"_

The scene shifted to Walston, where the reporter Melissa Ferrey was standing next to two wind-blown storm chasers, a man and a woman. The man had a gorgeous black hair and a nasty cut in his forehead. The woman next to him had a long dishwater-blonde hair and fox-like face. Around them was the ruined scene that had once been Walston.

"_Thank you, Alana_", said Melissa. "_I'm here with storm chasers Derek and Meredith Shepherd. Now, you and your team have seen a lot of storms during your career. What can you tell us about the Vellona-Walston tornado?_"

"_The Vellona-Walston tornado was very powerful and a bit larger than typical_", Mr. Shepherd replied. "_Though we have seen more powerful tornadoes before, there's no question in my mind that this was a terribly forceful tornado."_

"_Indeed it was. But the result could've been much worse without you. Do you often get to save people from whirlwinds?_"

"_Not as often as we'd like_", replied the woman. "_I mean, our duty is to chase and examine these disasters, but we seek to use the knowledge we have to save as many people as we can. Unfortunately, the winds are unpredictable and often we come too late to warn people. Luckily this time we got there in time._"

"_The weather forecasts aren't looking too bright at the moment, and meteorologists are warning about the possibility of more tornadoes in the area in the next few days. What advice can you give to our viewers, should they find themselves on the storm's path?_"

"_I'd say that these storms are vicious, unpredictable and deadly_", Mr. Shepherd said."_If you have a chance to leave the area for a couple of days, do so. If not, I'd advise you to pay attention to the weather forecasts and take their warnings seriously._"

"_And if you notice a tornado approaching, get to cover immediately_", advised Mrs. Shepherd. "_Get to the nearest shelter or basement. If you can't go underground, take shelter from the innermost room of the first floor of your house. Do not linger with opening or closing windows: that is a myth. And if you're in a vehicle, drive away at a 90__o __angle to the storm movement. As a last resort, abandon your vehicle and lie in a ditch._"

"_Thank you for your advice_", Melissa Ferrey said. "_Now, last thing, what can you_ –"

"_Derek! Meredith!_"

Melissa was cut short as a third storm chaser appeared. He was a red-haired man with a scruffy beard and piercing blue eyes. Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd turned to look at him, concerned. "_Owen, what is it?_"

"_A possible tornado in Toca. The storm's mustering strength there. This could be big._"

"_Okay, let's go!_" Mrs. Shepherd said and darted away with him.

"_We need to go now. Excuse us_", Mr. Shepherd apologized before running after his wife, leaving the baffled reporter to look after them. "_So_", she said and turned her head to the camera, "_as we can see, the life of a storm chaser is in constant motion. This is Melissa Ferrey, live from Walston. Back to the studio, Alana._"

As the screen shifted back to the studio, Helen grabbed the remote and turned off the TV. "You can't sleep?"

"The storm woke me up", Cristina said and sat to the arm of the sofa. "Did you go to bed at all?"

"I was about to when it started raining. I can go to bed when the storm's over. I don't need to sleep."

"Yes you do", Cristina said, giving her mother a concerned look. "Mom, this has to stop. You can't stay up all night every time there is a storm, watching news reports and worrying over nothing."

"It's okay, dear", Helen firmly said. "Better safe than sorry."

"Mom, I'm serious. You need to stop."

"You know very well that I can't stop", Helen retorted. "If I'm not on my guard, we could all be dead in a heartbeat. You know that."

"It's not your duty to be the storm-watch every time there's a little thunder. There are sirens, alarms…"

Helen snorted. "The sirens go off way too late. We had no warning the last time. What makes you think we'd get one this time?"

Cristina sighed but didn't answer. This conversation had taken place many times before, and no matter how much she tried to make her mother let go of the past, Helen wouldn't let go. Cristina didn't even know why she tried anymore. For some reason, she just did. "Dad wouldn't have wanted your life to turn into this", she quietly said, staring at the silver bracelet in her wrist.

"83 people, Cristina." Her mother's voice was barely louder than a whisper. She was staring blankly at the black screen of the TV. Outside the window, a lightning flashed and she flinched a bit. "83 people died because none of them got the warning in time. Dozens of families were torn apart because the sirens went off way too late. Maybe you don't remember what it was like. You were so young. But I remember, and I am not going to let it happen again."

Cristina lowered her head and shut her eyes. She did remember. She remembered it all – the noise, the panic, the screaming, the sound of the roof collapsing. And that was just the reason why she wanted so desperately to put all that behind her. She didn't want to have any connection to that night. Perhaps that was the very reason she had eventually gotten over it: she didn't want to get caught in it. The terror, the fear, she wanted to forget it all. But her mother… she just wasn't strong enough. That night had changed her in ways Cristina couldn't even imagine. She knew that no matter how terrible it had been for her after that night, her mother had had it ten times worse. But still Cristina couldn't help feeling irritated, annoyed by her mother's stubbornness, the way she insisted on clinging to the past. Maybe it was because in the end, she just wanted her mother back.

Ten minutes passed as the two women sat in silence in the living room. During that time the lightning stopped, and the roar of thunder now billowed from somewhere war away. Eventually, Cristina got up and looked out the window. "I think it moved past us. It's only raining now. I'm going back to bed."

Her mother nodded. "I think I'm going to stay up a little while longer. Good night."

"Good night", Cristina said and walked to the stairs. As she looked over her shoulder, she saw Helen sitting in front of the TV, looking out the window. She looked like a statue, as if she had sat there for eternity. Seeing her like that made Cristina extremely sad. As she walked across the upstairs hallway to her room, she stopped to look at an old picture hanging on the wall. Even though it was dark, she could clearly see what it portrayed: her father standing happily beside her beaming mother, who had her hands on the shoulders of an eight-year-old Cristina. The picture had been taken almost 18 years ago, back in the day when they had been a happy family. Back when her mother had been vivid and warm, and her father had been alive. Back when things were the way she now wished them to be.

She wanted that life back. She wanted her mother back. She wanted her father back. But those days were gone, blown away by the storm, and things would never be the same again.

With a leaden heart Cristina walked to her room and crawled back under the covers. With the sound of rain pouring against the roof as her lullaby, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 1 - New Scratchers

**Author Notes:**** Thanks everyone for your positive feedback! It really made writing this chapter a lot easier, but then I got really sick and wasn't able to write for a while. Anyways, here is the next part. It's a lot longer than the 1****st**** one, because I wanted to introduce you to the characters of this story. As always, review and comment, good or bad.**

**As a general note, I haven't abandoned my other stories. I intend to get back to them soon, but currently this story is writing itself, so I decided to ride the wave for as long as it lasts.**

* * *

_As her father wakes her up, she can hear the sirens howling outside. The thunder rumbles and the wind yowls. _

"_Daddy? What's going on?"_

"_Come on, sweetie. We need to go now."_

_He takes her hand as the people – her classmates and their parents – hurry towards the doors. She can hear her teacher, Mrs. Webber telling people to get to the shelter. Outside, the roar of the wind grows louder._

"_Daddy, I'm scared."_

"_I know, sweetie. It's alright. We'll be safe soon."_

_Suddenly there's a loud screech followed by a cacophony of all kinds of horrible sounds: glass shattering, wind roaring, metal yielding, people screaming._

"_Cristina!"  
"Daddy!"_

"_Cristina!"_

_The last thing she sees is the roof coming down as her father calls her name in terror._

Cristina jolted awake, the nightmare – the terrible memory – dissipating before her eyes, just as her alarm clock started to buzz. With the echoes of her father's calls still in her ears, she rolled over and slapped the clock, turning off the alarm. As she got up she realized how tired she was. Last night had definitely taken its toll, reducing both the quality and quantity of her sleep. _Today's going to be rough_, she thought as she walked to the bathroom, stripped off her clothes and walked into the shower. The cool water felt good on her skin, refreshing her.

After the shower she toweled off, returned to her room and got dressed. She then walked in front of the mirror and started to braid her hair. As she collected her hair, she thought about her dream. She was slightly confused by it. She didn't usually have nightmares about that night. She had gotten over it; it was out of her mind. She didn't think about it, she didn't talk about it… and she most certainly didn't dream about it. _Nonsense_, she thought and shook her head. It was just a dream, a stupid dream, and she was determined not to let it get to her. And even if she couldn't help but flinch when she heard the echoes of her father's voice in her head, she wasn't going to let a small nightmare ruin her day.

"I'm over it", she convinced her reflection before grabbing her bag and heading downstairs for breakfast.

"Morning", she said as she entered the kitchen. Her uncle Saul raised his head from the newspaper and greeted her. Her mother mumbled a reply, not raising her head from the bowl of cereal in front of her. Cristina noticed that she looked exhausted. Saul was also looking at her with concern.

"Did you go to bed at all last night?" Cristina asked as she took a cup from the cupboard and filled it with coffee.

"Eventually", Helen replied. "And I'm fine, so you don't need to concern yourself with my wellbeing."

"Just asking, mother", Cristina replied, swallowing a sigh. She sat down next to her uncle and started to make a sandwich. She took a peak at the article Saul was reading. "Is that about last night's tornado?"

Saul nodded. "Yes. EF 3, 51 dead and they're still going through the rubble in Walston, so the death toll can still rise. More than 140 people were hospitalized, and hundreds were left homeless."

"That's horrible", Cristina said. "Is there anything about those storm chasers who saved people at the trailer park?"

Her uncle furrowed his brows. "A photo. Why?"

"Nothing. I just think they were very brave", Cristina said and leaned closer in order to see the photo, which was no doubt taken by some local journalist. It portrayed a group of five people gathered around some sort of machine. The caption underneath said: _The heroes of Walston trailer park assemble after the storm to examine the obtained data. Here from left to right: Mark Sloan, Meredith Shepherd, Derek Shepherd, Lexie Grey and Owen Hunt._

As Cristina looked at the picture, Helen leaned over the table and glanced at the photo. "Mad people", she snorted.

"What? Why?" Cristina asked. "Because they saved a bunch of people?"

"Dear God, Cristina. Those people hunt tornadoes. No person in their right mind does something like that."

Cristina shrugged her shoulders and looked at the photo again, examining the people in it. They all looked like regular people. Mark Sloan was a tall man with salt and pepper hair, the kind of man you could run into in the city. Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd looked like a regular married couple: they wore rings and stood side by side with the husband's hand around the wife's waist, just like any couple who had just survived a catastrophe. Lexie Grey was small and smart-looking with dark brown hair and sweet, innocent face. She looked like a normal university student girl. Next to her stood Owen Hunt, the red-head Cristina had seen on TV last night. His blue eyes were piercing and as deep as the ocean, even in the fuzzy picture.

"I think they're heroes", Cristina stated, ignoring her mother's disapproving look. "They risked their own lives in order to rescue over 30 innocent people. That's amazing."

"I fail to see any heroism in their act", Helen said coldly. "Those people play with their lives; chase their own doom on purpose. Such reckless life hardly holds any value. It's like making a hero out of a suicidal man who rescues someone who's about to get hit by a car. There's nothing heroic about it if you don't care whether you live or die during the process."

"Mother please", Cristina said but then decided to drop it, not wanting to get into an argument with her mother. Silence fell to the kitchen. Saul disappeared behind his paper. Helen ate her cereal without looking up from her bowl anymore. Cristina finished her sandwich and drank her coffee and then got up, not wanting to spend another minute in the awkward silence. "I guess I'm on my way, then."

"Will you come home for dinner?" Saul asked from behind his paper.

"I don't think so", Cristina replied as she walked to the foyer. "I'll eat at work."

"Okay", Saul said. Cristina grabbed her coat and – after taking one last look at the grave quiet atmosphere in the kitchen – went out the door.

* * *

The sky was gray and depressing that morning, and the traces of last night's storm were visible all over town. As Cristina walked down the street, she could see broken branches, trashes and puddles of water everywhere. Though it was nothing compared to the damage she had seen before, it was still sad to see her hometown in such untidy shape.

_Why can't Iona have even one beautiful summer? _Cristina thought as she crossed the street and walked past the town's bald white church. The building was yet another reminder of the town's dismal history. Iona's first church had been bold and majestic until one summer the storms had torn it down. This also happened to the two churches that followed, so after the third one was destroyed 17 years ago, people decided to keep the fourth one simple. There was no point in building beautiful churches when they would only be torn down by the weather. As a matter of fact, the only thing in the churchyard that had stayed untouched for all her lifetime was the cemetery. Miraculously, not a single grave had ever been touched by the winds. Many townspeople, her mother among them, believed that God Himself was protecting the cemetery from the storms, since nearly half of the people buried there were victims of the many storms that had hit the town over the years.

Cristina stopped to look at the cemetery for a moment. Rows and rows of neatly placed tombstones were standing under the shade of the big trees that had grown there since before she had been born. In the shade of the oldest and tallest tree was a statue portraying an angel holding a child in her embrace. It was the most important memorial in the entire town: The Memorial of the Lost Children, built in the memory of all those children and their parents who had perished at the school during the disaster 17 years ago. Underneath the angel's feet was a bronze plaque containing the names of the deceased, and though Cristina was standing far away, she could read every single name in the plaque – after all, his father was there. And she should have been there with him.

Lost in her thoughts, Cristina didn't notice the two women approaching her until the other one placed her hand on her shoulder and said: "Morning, Sunshine!"

Cristina jumped and turned around to see her friends, Callie Torres and Arizona Robbins – Calzona, as the townspeople called them. "Callie! You scared me!"

The two women chuckled. Callie held her other arm around Arizona's waist. They both seemed all too perky. "Wow, someone's cranky", Callie said with a smirk. "Did the storm keep you awake?"

"It woke me up", Cristina told as the three women began walking towards the town center. "Of course mom stayed awake during the whole thing. How about you?"

Callie and Arizona looked at each other, both smiling. "Well, we both woke up", Arizona replied, giggling a bit. "But that turned out to be a rather good thing."

Callie chuckled. "True that. Arizona doesn't like thunder, so I had to comfort her and we got excited, one thing led to another, and finally we got _really _excited, especially after we found –"

"I don't want to hear anymore!" Cristina exclaimed, lifting her hands. Callie looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Wow, someone's very cranky", she said, and then her eyes lit up. "Oh. Now I see what's wrong."

"What?"

Callie smiled mischievously. "You have an itch, don't you?"

"_What_? I do not!"

"Yes you do, admit it! You have an itch and you need someone to scratch."

"No I haven't, no I don't."

"Not to be nosy", said Arizona, "but have you actually been with anyone after you and Preston broke up?"

"None of your business", Cristina said and nervously ran her hand through her hair. Why were they discussing about this subject?

"None of your business as in '_Yes I have but I'm too coy to talk about it_', or none of your business as in _'No I haven't and I desperately need someone'_? If it's number one, do tell. If it's number two, don't worry, we'll help you."

"It's number three, actually. None of your business as in _'None of your business'_."

Callie examined her with her dark eyes, and then nodded. "It's definitely number two – look how awkward she got."

"I think so too", Arizona said. "Wow, Cristina. You really haven't been with anyone since Preston Burke? You guys broke up almost a year ago."

"So?" Cristina asked.

"So are you honestly happy being single?"

"Or have you been using that little not-so-little red present I got you last Christmas?" Callie asked with a wicked grin.

"Yes. No! Yes. Wait!" Cristina threw her hands up as Callie and Arizona's eyes widened in amazement. "I meant to say yes, I am happy being single, and dear God no, I haven't touched that thing. I don't even know where it is. My God Callie, what if my mother had found it?"

"Oh", Callie said, visibly disappointed. "Well that's a bummer. You know, it's okay to have some fun every once in a while, but whatever. If you want to live like a nun, then go ahead. I know I could never live in celibacy but hey, live and let live."

Luckily Cristina didn't have to reply. The three women had just crossed the final street and were now standing in front of the _Webbers' Better Than Homemade _diner, Cristina and Callie's workplace. Cristina waited at the door while Callie kissed her goodbyes to Arizona, who worked at the hospital a couple streets away. After she had left, Callie and Cristina entered the diner. It was a cozy place with wooden surfaces and warm colors, just like Mrs. Webber had planned it. The large windows in the façade were designed to fill the place with natural light, but today they only showed the gray grim morning.

Cristina glanced at the clock. "We're a bit late. Less talking and more walking next time."

"Alex Karev", Callie stated thoughtfully.

"What?" Cristina examined the diner with her eyes. "Where?"

"No, not here. I meant that you should sleep with Alex Karev."

"Callie…" Cristina rolled her eyes.

"What? He's your age, he's good-looking, and I bet he's an excellent scratcher."

"And he has scratched approximately every woman in town. Not to mention that he's currently scratching Izzie Stevens."

"He is? What happened to Sadie Harris?"

"Sadie Harris was before Lucy Fields."

"Wow. He does scratch many women."

"Well, it's rather easy for him, since he's pretty much the only guy of our age left in this town."

"I know. That sucks."

"What do you care? You have Arizona."

"I care because you are my friend and you haven't gotten laid in ages, which is making you cranky."

Cristina was about to give her friend a cheeky reply when the kitchen door suddenly opened and their boss, Richard Webber appeared. "Webber", Cristina warned Callie as he slowly walked to them. The women smiled apologetically as he stopped in front of them, his arms crossed. "Girls."

"Good morning, Mr. Webber", Cristina and Callie greeted in unison.

"We're a little late, we're sorry", Cristina said.

"It won't happen again", Callie assured.

Mr. Webber furrowed his brows. "How many times have I told you to call me Richard? We use first names here, just like Adele wanted. And how many times have I told you to come in time?"

"About a hundred?" Callie said sheepishly.

"Maybe more…?" Cristina added, equally shamefaced.

"That's right. This is a small business; it can't function without the few workers it has. I had to put Emily to the kitchen because of you."

"Emily?" Cristina said. "But she's a waitress. Like me."

"I know, but she can't serve food that doesn't exist." He looked at Callie. "Surely our chef knows that?"

"She does", Callie said.

Richard nodded. "Get to work, both of you."

"Yes sir… Richard", the women replied and Richard walked away.

"Wow. I wonder what's wrong with him", Callie said when they were out of his hearing distance. "He used to be a relaxed guy."

"Maybe it's the anniversary coming", Cristina said and nodded towards the large photo above the counter. It portrayed Adele Webber, the warm, smiling woman Cristina faintly remembered. The diner had been her dream, a dream she had fulfilled along with her husband. Teaching had been her job and she had loved doing it, but this had been her dream – until 17 years ago that all came to an end. After her death, Richard had continued managing the diner in order to honor her greatest dream. People loved the _Webbers' Better Than Homemade _diner, but they said the place just wasn't the same without Adele Webber's beaming smile.

"You're probably right", Callie said and went to the kitchen just as Emily Kovach came out, opening the straps of her dirty apron.

"I'm sorry", Cristina said to her.

"It's okay", Emily replied. She was a beautiful young woman, a couple years younger than Cristina, with long dark hair and pretty round eyes. "Luckily I can cook a little better than you. Now, you take the counter and I'll work the tables."

"Got it", Cristina said and walked behind the counter.

* * *

It was a rather calm day with people coming and going at a steady pace. There were a few passer-bys, but most of the customers were local townspeople: elderly couples and families with children. Kids, teens, adults and elders, but no young adults. This was the problem in Iona: there were only a handful of young adults left in the town. Most people moved away as soon as they graduated, some seeking better employment, others simply running away from the harsh weather. Those few that stayed formed the small minority that was young adults. It was common that from every age set, approximately 5 or 6 people stayed in Iona, but there was one group that had it even worse: The Lost Children, Cristina's age set. Out of the 35 children of that age set, only three remained in Iona: Cristina Yang, Alex Karev and Isobel Stevens. A couple children had moved away, but most of them… most of them were dead.

Cristina stood behind the counter, looking out the windows. The sky had now cleared a bit and sunshine was shining through holes in the clouds. As she looked at the sky, wondering if the clouds would dissipate completely, she suddenly heard the ting of the bell as the door opened and a young couple entered the diner.

"Hello, and welcome to _Webbers' Better Than Homemade_", Cristina greeted. She was interested by this couple. Passer-bys, she deduced, since she had never seen them before. They were both around her age. The man was tall and had a dark tanned skin, handsome face and beautiful green eyes. The woman was small and had light skin and fiery red hair.

"Hi", the man responded and gave Cristina a dazzling smile. The couple examined the bill of fare for a while, and then ordered. Cristina took their order, and then looked at the couple. "I don't mean to be nosy, but I'm guessing you guys aren't from around here?"

"No, we are actually moving in here in a couple of days", the man said.

"Really?" Cristina asked and couldn't help but add: "Of all the places, why here?"

"Well, with all due respect, we came here for the adventure. We wanted some thrills, and we heard that this town has experienced a lot of extreme stuff."

"We're newlyweds", the woman said, showing her ring. "This is our honeymoon."

"But please don't think that we're some teenagers after adrenaline", the man quickly added. "We are here for business as well. My mother owns an inn on the other side of town."

"The _Avery Inn_?" Cristina asked, surprised. "Your mother is Catherine Avery?"

"Yes", the man replied. "Do you know her?"

She chuckled. "Everyone here knows Catherine Avery." In truth, everyone knew her, and most of them hated her. Catherine Avery was a wealthy and haughty woman who owned the _Avery Inn_, the biggest competitor of _Webbers' Better Than Homemade_. This man and his wife would have hard time trying to settle down once the townspeople found out who they were.

"Well, I hope people won't be too hard on us based on my mother", the man said as if he had read her mind. "I know how difficult she can be. I'm Jackson Avery, by the way."

"April Avery", the woman introduced herself. She seemed extremely bubbly with her fast speech style and squeaky voice. "I love how it sounds. My maiden name is Kepner."

"Cristina Yang", Cristina introduced herself. "Welcome to Iona, I guess. It's good to have some young people here."

The Averys went to their table. Callie came out of the kitchen and took a long look at them. "He's good-looking. Hot, even. He could scratch you."

"Callie!" Cristina exclaimed. "He's married. Not to mention, the son of Catherine Avery."

"Yea, I heard." Callie looked at the couple suspiciously. "I wonder what Mama Avery's up to. She doesn't seem like the person who wants her son around her for no reason. I bet there's a catch here somewhere."

"Whatever it is, I can't be good."

"I know." Callie looked at the clock. "Want to go out for a minute? Jo came to work; she can cover for me for a while."

"Yea", Cristina said and motioned Emily to come to her. "Can you take care of the counter for a moment?"

"Sure", she replied. "It's a calm day; I can manage the counter and the tables."

"Okay, thanks."

Callie and Cristina went to the kitchen and walked out the back door. The day was getting warmer and there was a gentle breeze in the air as the women sat down on a bench that stood next to the door and looked at the empty street in front of them.

"If I hadn't been with a doctor for so long, this would be the part where we start smoking and gossiping", Callie stated.

Cristina couldn't help but chuckle. "Gossip about what, exactly? Nothing happens in this town except bad weather, and only old people talk about weather."

"Crap, you're right." Callie thought for a while, furrowing his brows. "Okay, let's talk about Alex and Izzie."

"What about them?"

"What does Izzie Stevens see in Alex Karev?"

"What do you mean? You just rambled on about how good-looking and excellent scratcher he is."

"That was just a sales pitch. I really can't imagine those two together. Izzie is a successful, busy woman and Alex is a mechanic at the garage. I just don't see it. What are people even supposed to call them?"

"Call them?" Cristina asked, puzzled.

"Yea. If Arizona and I are Calzona, what are Izzie and Alex? Izzex? Alzie?"

"I don't think people are going to give them an abbreviation. That's just for you guys."

"Oh come on, we can't be the only couple with an abbreviation." Callie suddenly smirked and gave Cristina a mischievous look. "We used to have Burkestina as company, but now we're all alone."

Cristina turned to look at her friend, her eyes wide. "_Burkestina_? That's what you guys called us?"

"Yes. Burke and Cristina. Burkestina. What, do you have a better suggestion?"

"I don't know. Criston? Prestina?"

Callie looked at her dubiously. "I'm sorry, but those are all horrible names." The women looked at each other for a moment and then burst into laughter.

"Criston", Callie snickered.

"Prestina", Cristina tittered.

While the women laughed, a blue truck appeared on the street, followed by a large RV. The vehicles were driving at a low speed as if they were searching for something. Cristina and Callie turned to watch the strange convoy, both still giggling. _Tourists_, Cristina thought. _That's the first._

As the convoy reached the diner, the blue truck pulled off to the side of the street in front of the women. Cristina and Callie immediately sobered down and stood up as the window of the truck opened and a woman stuck her head out. Cristina couldn't stop her eyes from widening in surprise as she saw the woman's dishwater blonde hair and instantly recognized her.

"Excuse me; can you help us a bit?" Meredith Shepherd asked, smiling politely. "We're a bit lost."

"We're not lost", corrected a male voice. "We know where we are. Owen just doesn't know where to go next."

"Sure", Cristina said, and she and Callie walked over to the car. Cristina couldn't believe her eyes. Just last night she had seen them on TV, and now they were right in front of her, right before her eyes. It felt like meeting a celebrity in person. She hadn't even realized it before, but she had definitely started to feel a sort of admiration for them.

"Hi", she greeted as she got to the window. Meredith Shepherd was smiling at her, holding a map in her hands. Next to her, on the middle seat sat her husband Derek Shepherd, whose cut from last night had turned into a nasty scar. And behind the steering wheel was Owen Hunt, the red-head with the gorgeous eyes. In close, Cristina noticed that he was wearing a piece of jewelry around his neck: a locket that had some sort of inscription on it.

"Hello", Mr. Shepherd greeted with a smile.

"So, how can we help you guys?" Callie asked. Cristina noticed that she didn't seem to recognize them. "Where are you going?"

"We're trying to find some place to stay in for a while", Mrs. Shepherd explained. "A motel or a trailer park or something. Just for a couple of days."

Cristina and Callie glanced at each other. They both knew the place, but neither one wanted to say it out loud. Finally, Callie sighed. "There's an inn on the other side of town. _The Avery Inn. _You can go there. They have lots of rooms, a big parking lot, a restaurant, a gym, and if I remember correctly, a day spa."

"Wow! That sounds luxurious", Mr. Shepherd said. "How do we find the inn?"

"It's easy. You just drive by the city hall and make a left", Cristina instructed. "Then you keep driving until you see the inn. You can't miss it."

"Hope so." Mr. Shepherd picked up the microphone of a mobile radio that was attached to the dashboard and pressed the talk-button. "Mark? We got the directions, we're good to go."

"_Finally", _said a crackly voice. "_Lexie's been boring me to death with the history of this town._"

"Have you looked at the radar at all?"

"_Don't worry. We're keeping a close eye on the monitors._"

"That'd better be all that you're doing", Mrs. Shepherd muttered.

"_What was that?_"

"Nothing", Mr. Shepherd said with a chuckle. "We're going now. Play nicely."

"_I always do. And hey, tell Hunt that the RV's running out of gas._"

"I can hear you, Mark, and so is the truck", Mr. Hunt said. "We have nothing but empty canisters."

"There's a gas station and a garage near the inn", Cristina told. "You can refuel and overhaul there."

"Oh. Thanks", Mr. Hunt said and looked Cristina with his ice-blue eyes. Cristina responded to his look with her own brown eyes, and for a brief moment their eyes were locked, brown eyes staring into blue ones. His eyes were so dashing, she thought. She felt like she could just dive into them. His hair and beard were like a ring of fire surrounding two blue lagoons. His face was nothing but fire and water...

"_So, are we going or what?_"

Cristina heard the crash of a shattering window in his mind as the spell was broken by the sound coming from the radio. She and Mr. Hunt both turned their yes away from each other. Cristina suddenly felt very hot.

"Yes, we better get going", Mrs. Shepherd stated. As the car started moving, she looked at Cristina and Callie. "Thanks for the directions."

"No problem", Callie replied. "See you around!"

The women watched as the convoy drove away. When the back of the RV was no longer visible, Callie started to chuckle. "Speak of the devil and he shall appear."

"What do you mean?"

"We were talking about how nothing ever happens here and how there aren't enough scratchers, and suddenly we get three new scratchers."

"Not again", Cristina sighed.

"Are you kidding me? Did you not see those three good-looking men that just stopped right in front of you? I mean, did you see the guy in the RV? Hot!"

"Who – Mark?"

Callie furrowed her brows. "How do you know his name? Oh right, the radio!"

"No! Didn't you see the news last night? Or read the morning paper?"

"No. I was going to read the paper but Arizona hogged it for the whole morning. She's a hoger. She hogs the paper, the covers…"

"Callie! There was a tornado last night in Walston, and those guys were the storm chasers who rescued about 30 people from the tornado."

"Oh yea, Arizona mentioned there was a twister last night." She looked at the end of the street. "Storm chasers, huh? Guys who are trouble. Even better."

"You are impossible."

"And you don't know how to seize an opportunity. Come on, Cristina! The black-haired one had a ring on his finger, but the ginger and _Mark _seemed available. Didn't you notice how the ginger looked at you? What was his name? Owen?"

Cristina hoped that her expression didn't give away the fact that she had certainly noticed him and the way he looked at her. And the way she looked at him. She had noticed him, but there was no way she was going to feed Callie's fire by admitting it. "I didn't look. And yes, his name is Owen."

"Right. Owen and Cristina. Owenstina. Sound good? A ginger hunk and an Asian beauty."

"Callie, for someone who sleeps with a woman, you sure concern yourself a lot with men."

"Well, one of us has to, since you don't seem to understand your own good."

Cristina was about to answer when Emily suddenly stuck her head out the door. "Cristina, Callie, things got busy here. We need your help."

"Coming", Cristina said to her.

"This isn't over", Callie said as Emily went back inside.

"Oh yes it is", Cristina replied and started walking towards the door. "And by the way, Owenstina would be a horrible name."

"Can you come up with something better?" Callie asked as they went back inside. Cristina stopped in the doorway and thought about it. She turned around and looked at the end of the street, thinking about the man. Fire and water…

The name popped into her mind and she smiled subtly. "Crowen."


	3. Chapter 2 - Witches and Spies

**Author Notes:**** Thanks again, everyone! Here's the next chapter. Hope you like it and please leave your review! I appreciate them very much, both positive and negative. Now, I'm already working on the next chapter, and looks like Cristina is going to please her eyes a little, like Callie suggests! ;) (Not spoiling or anything…) Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

The next morning was very different from the previous, mainly because of the weather. When Cristina woke up, she could hear birds singing and see the sun lighting up the clear blue sky. As she did her morning routine, she couldn't help looking out the window and marveling at the view outside. It was a calm and beautiful morning – a sight that didn't occur very often in Iona during the summer. Such rare days seemed to have a magical effect on everything. Without the seeds of a storm in the distant horizon, even Helen seemed to be doing better. It was during those rare periods of calmness when Cristina was able to see a faint glimpse of the woman her mother had once been. When she entered the kitchen, her mother was making a grocery list with Saul. "Morning, dear", she said as Cristina sat down to the table. "Would you like some coffee?"

"Yes please", Cristina replied, a little bemused. She wasn't used to seeing her mother like that. Not that she complained about seeing her mother so vivid and smiling, but it was also a bit sad to realize just how much her mood was affected by the weather. One glimpse of the sun to calm her mind, one dark cloud to plant fear into her heart.

At breakfast, Helen asked Cristina about her plans for the day.

"I don't know, really", Cristina answered. "Today is an easy day, Callie and I only have work 'till noon. I think we're going to go for a walk after work since Callie doesn't like being alone and Arizona is going to be working all day. It'll be nice to go around town since it is so beautiful outside."

"It is", Helen agreed and glanced out the kitchen window. "It's so nice to finally have a clear, warm summer day. Everyone must be excited."

Cristina was about to say that she knew a certain bunch of people who probably weren't too happy about the calm weather, but then remembered that the subject of storm hunting was a sore subject for her mom and decided to stay quiet.

"Well, I happened to hear a rumor that a certain lady is very excited at the moment", Saul stated. "I heard from Mr. Harris that Catherine Avery's son is in town."

Helen raised her eyebrows in surprise while Cristina nodded. "Mm, he is. He and his wife were at the diner yesterday. The man said they're in town for business, whatever that means."

"Oh really?" Saul seemed curious. "Well, this raises a very interesting question. I wonder what the Avery's are up to."

"Maybe something about the inn?" Helen speculated. "Maybe they're expanding – as if the inn wasn't successful enough already. This town is going to have rough time with two Averys."

"I don't think so", Cristina said. "The man didn't seem like Catherine. He was friendly and not snooty at all. His wife seemed a bit too bubbly but otherwise they appeared to be a nice couple. They even tipped Emily Kovach when she served them. I don't see Catherine doing that."

"All that glisters is not gold, nor is everything silver that gleams", Helen said. "The man is an Avery, Cristina. They are cunning and ruthless folk. You should be careful around them."

"Thanks mom, I'll keep that in mind", Cristina said as she finished her breakfast and then headed out the door.

* * *

Even though Cristina was on the move ahead of time, Callie was already at work when she arrived to the diner.

"Wow", Cristina said as she walked to her. "You're early."

"Are you kidding me? Of course I came early; I don't want Webber to lecture me again. I see you're ahead of time as well."

"Yea." Cristina looked around the diner. "Where is Webber?"

"He went out. Probably to the cemetery to visit Adele's grave. He said he will be back soon."

"Okay. I guess we'll have to run the diner ourselves, then."

"Looks like. Say, could you give me a hand in prepping the kitchen?" Callie asked. "I know you can't cook, but I trust you know how to flush vegetables and peel potatoes."

"Sure", Cristina said and followed Callie into the kitchen. After giving her a spare apron, Callie introduced her to a huge pile of potatoes that needed to be peeled. Cristina stared at the pile with wide eyes. "All of them?"

"All of them. Better get to work so that we have everything set when the diner is opened."

The women got to work, Cristina peeling potatoes, Callie preparing the meat and the fish.

"I'm actually a bit anxious about today", Callie said as the women worked. "It's a beautiful day. Many people will be out dining."

"We'll survive", Cristina assured. "Besides, even if today is busy, we're the lucky ones: Emily and Jo have the afternoon shift which is always worse."

"Right." Callie was silent for a moment and then asked: "Have you thought about what I said yesterday?"

"What do you mean?"

"About the storm-chasing men in our town?"

The peeling knife slipped from Cristina's grip and nicked her thumb as the image of red hair and blue eyes flashed in her mind."Ouch!" she exclaimed and put the thumb in her mouth. "Thanks."

"What?" Callie asked with an inquiring look on her face. "I just asked. Though I must say, that was an interesting reaction."

"Oh be quiet", Cristina said and grabbed a packet of band-aids from the cupboard. "We're not having this discussion again."

Callie shook her head in amusement. "You are the most hopeless case I've ever come across with. Clueless in dating and now you can't even peel a potato without injuring yourself."

"Well, I'm a waitress, so my job shouldn't include peeling potatoes. Let's just get this over with."

The women finished prepping the kitchen and then checked that everything was set in the diner. With Webber still missing, they decided to open the diner. It soon became clear that this day was, in fact, a lot busier than the previous. Thanks to the beautiful weather, many couples and families had decided to spend the day out and also dine out. And since the diner was the only eatery in town (the locals supported _Webbers' Better Than Homemade _by favoring it over the _Avery Inn_), all the people came to eat there. The upside of that was, of course, the extra money the employees made. The downside was the rush.

"… and I will be back with your orders in a few", Cristina said to Theodore and Denise Harris after taking their order. "It may take a little longer than usual, since I'm the only waitress working at the moment."

"It's all right dear", Denise Harris replied with a sweet grandma-smile. "We can wait."

"Thank you", Cristina replied and hurried to take the order to Callie. She seemed to be on fire in the kitchen, her hands moving as a blur. Cristina couldn't help but smile as she watched her work. "You okay in there?"

"Sure, no problem", Callie replied while cooking salmon with her right hand and stirring the sauce with her left hand. "I'm a rock star with a frying pan."

"That you are", Cristina chuckled as she heard the jingle of the old doorbell. _Great, more customers_, she thought and turned around to greet the customers – only to be rooted to the spot as she saw the person who had entered the diner.

Catherine Avery stood at the door of the diner, examining the place with her cold brown eyes. The expression on her proud face was sour. Her curly brown hair was loose and surging to her back and shoulders like a waterfall of rust. Despite it being warm outside, she was dressed in a black robe-like suit. Her appearance, combined with the way she stood at the door like an evil queen with her chin up, made Cristina think of a witch. All that was missing was a black cat and a broomstick.

Behind Catherine stood her son Jackson and daughter-in-law April who seemed a bit intimidated by her. The couple followed in Catherine's footsteps as she walked to the counter and tapped the wooden surface with her painted nails. "Good morning", she said with a low voice and looked at Cristina with a despising look. Other customers turned to see Catherine Avery, most of them looking a little frightened or vexed.

It took a moment for Cristina to get her mouth to work, for she was rather stunned to see Catherine in the diner. "Good… Good morning, Ms. Avery. How may I help you?"

The elder woman gave her a bleak laugh. "Isn't it obvious? We're here to dine."

"Oh. I mean, of course", Cristina stammered. "Would you like to order now or sit to a table and look at the menu in peace?"

"We'll order now", Ms. Avery said without even looking at the bill of fare. "We'll each take the best dish this place has to offer, plus three coffees for dessert. All black, thank you."

"Alright", Cristina said, feeling a little uncomfortable under Ms. Avery's disapproving gaze. "I'll bring your orders in a few."

"Thank you", Catherine said, and the three Averys went to their table. Cristina went to take the order to Callie, feeling like freaking out.

"Was that…?" Callie asked with round eyes as Cristina approached her.

"It was!" Cristina exclaimed. "What on God's green earth is Catherine Avery doing here?"

"Beats me. What did she order?"

"She asked for the best dish this place has to offer. And three black coffees."

Callie looked confused. "The best dish this place has to offer?"

"I don't know. But I suggest you really put some extra effort to this one. Who knows what she'll do if she doesn't get what she wants."

"This can't lead to anything good", Callie muttered and began preparing the special meal. Cristina resumed to her work while trying to figure out what could the Averys possibly want from the diner. Every now and then she took a quick glance at their table and every time she looked, she saw them either discussing something with their heads close together or looking around the diner or to the direction of the kitchen. Their behavior made Cristina very curious, but also a little anxious. They were clearly plotting something. But what?

Once the food was done, Cristina took the tray and walked over to the table where the three Averys sat. "Here you go", she said and served everyone their meals. Callie had really outdone herself, and Cristina could see a positively surprised look on Jackson Avery's face as he looked at the food. "Thank you", he said with a smile.

Cristina went back to the counter. Callie soon joined her, looking nervously at the Averys. "Do you think they like it?" she asked.

"It seems so. At least Jackson Avery looked satisfied at the mere sight of the meal."

"Good. That's good", Callie muttered.

When the Averys had eaten, Cristina delivered them their coffee. Catherine Avery looked up at her, and Cristina was surprised to see a sugared smile on the elder woman's lips. "Could you please give our compliments to the chef, please? The meal was… surprisingly excellent."

"Will do", Cristina replied, a little puzzled.

"Was she the woman I saw you talk with over at the counter?"

"Um, yes, yes she was."

Catherine Avery's smile turned even wider. "Excellent. Now, could you give us the check, please? We'll drink our coffee and be on our way. We have some very important matters to discuss."

"Alright." Cristina went back to the counter and started working on the check. Callie once again emerged from the kitchen, her apron full of sauce stains. "Well? What did they say?"

"They liked it. Catherine actually sent you their compliments."

"Okay", Callie said and looked to the direction of the Averys, her face suddenly turning pale. "She's staring at me."

"What?" Cristina looked up and to the direction where Callie was looking. Catherine Avery was staring at them with a ruminative look in her eyes. It was a scary look, as if she had been plotting something malicious for their undoing. It made the hairs on the back of Cristina's neck stand on end. "Okay, I admit it: that's creepy", she said.

"I'm going to go back to the kitchen", Callie said and retreated through the kitchen door. Cristina wrote the check and took it to the Averys' table just as they had finished drinking their coffee. "Here you go", she said and handed the bill to Catherine, but she didn't take it. "No, no, my boy will pay this", she said. "Won't he?"

"Absolutely", Jackson Avery quickly said and took the bill. He looked at it and then took out his wallet from the pocket of his jacket and paid Cristina. "There. Keep the change."

His mother snorted: "Such waste", and then looked at Cristina with an unfriendly smile. "No offence, of course."

"None taken", Cristina replied, unable to hide the chilly tone in her voice. "Thanks for the tip and please come again."

"We'll see", Catherine said as the three Averys got up. "And dear, you're in customer service, so I'd advise you to mind your tone with customers. Other places won't hire a waitress with a bad attitude. Just something to… think about. For the future."

_Other places? _Cristina thought as the three Averys swept past her. She followed them with her gaze as Catherine led her retinue to the door. They were just about to step out when the door suddenly opened, Richard Webber standing behind it. Cristina saw how his expression went from somber to stunned as he realized that he was standing face to face with his rival at the threshold of his own diner. "Cath–! What the –"

"Morning Richard", Catherine said with an unctuous voice. "How nice to see you."

"Catherine. What are you doing here?" Richard asked with a voice as tough as steel.

"I was having a nice brunch with my family. Isn't your diner supposed to be a family place?"

"Aren't you supposed to have your own restaurant where you can have a family brunch?" Richard retorted.

"I have, as a matter of fact, and it is a fine restaurant. And soon it will be even better, hence the visit. I thought I'd pay my last respects to this place before your business is shot down." She chuckled with a voice that was nothing but poison. "Good day to you."

Richard stepped back and let the Averys go past him, the expression on his face rather shocked. He then came in, spotted Cristina and walked directly to her. "What was she after?" he urged.

Cristina shrugged her shoulders. "Honestly? I don't know."

* * *

"Catherine Avery?" Emily asked in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"I am", Cristina assured as she leaned on the wall, waiting for Callie. It was noon and their shift had just ended. "She came here to dine with her son and daughter-in-law and then tried to upset Webber with some talk about this place shutting down."

"Really? Gosh, the nerve on that woman."

"She can't really… do anything, can she?" asked Jo Wilson. She was the youngest employee in the diner and this job was basically everything she had. "I mean, it was just jawing, right?"

"I don't think she can do anything", Cristina said. "People love this diner and our food, and there's nothing she can do to change that."

"I hope you're right", Emily said as Callie emerged from the kitchen. "You ready?"

"Yea, let's go", Cristina said. She and Callie said goodbye to Emily and Jo and then stepped out of the diner to the warm summer air.

"I can't believe she came to our diner to threaten us", Callie said as they began walking down the street. They didn't really have any destination; they just picked a direction and started walking. "Especially since she's in no place to talk. Our diner is doing better than her inn."

"For now", Cristina stated. "Remember that she has something that we don't: room to expand."

"How's that going to make any difference? She already has a spa and a gym and the whole nine yards and people still avoid going there, because she is a mean old hag and basically declared a war against our diner when she first arrived. The town is on our side, _that's_ her problem."

"I hope your right. You know, she said something to me about other places not hiring me in the future."

Callie furrowed her brows. "Maybe she meant that as a general advice for the future? I don't suppose you're going to be working at the diner for your whole life?"

Cristina gave her friend a meaningful look. "Do you really think Catherine Avery cares a crap about my future? That was a threat." She sighed. "If only we could find out what she's up to…"

Callie chuckled. "Way to go, Nancy Drew! How are you going to do that?"

Cristina suddenly stopped, looking ruminative. "Are we actually going anywhere? Do you need to go somewhere?"

"No. Well, I need to get the groceries since Arizona's working all day, but I can do that later. Why?"

Cristina had a clever expression on her face. "Catherine came to visit us, how about we return the favor and pay her a visit? Who knows, we might see something there."

"You mean you want to spy them?"

"Why not? We wouldn't be spies – just two friends having lunch."

Callie suddenly gave her friend a sly smile. "You mean to tell me that you want to go to the _Avery Inn _just to spy the Averys? Just that, with absolutely no ulterior motives?"

"Yes? What else could we possibly –" Cristina paused, realizing what Callie was chasing. "Oh for the love of God, Callie!"

"Gotcha!" Callie laughed heartily and then playfully pushed her friend's shoulder. "Ok, come on. Let's go see what the Wicked Witch and our hubbies are doing."

* * *

The _Avery Inn _was a beautiful old building on the outskirts of Iona, built in Art Nouveau style. With four floors, grand windows and beautiful balconies, it was one of the most majestic buildings in town. Cristina didn't know much of its history before Catherine Avery had renovated it, only that it had been abandoned for a long time before being turned into a successful inn. The building, much like the town cemetery, had miraculously so far been spared from the harsh weather. The only part of the building that had ever suffered any kind of storm damage was the winged statue of Tyche, the Greek goddess of success, which stood on top of a column in the front yard. The goddess' left wing had been blasted off by a lightning only a few days after the statue's placement. A local legend told that the statue was mocking the sacred Memorial of the Lost Children with its similar appearance, so in revenge, a lightning was sent to cut off the wing of the false angel, thus creating a difference between the two statues.

"Oh look!" Callie said as they walked towards the building. "The RV and the truck are not in the parking lot."

Cristina immediately turned her head towards the parking lot and saw that Callie was right. A strange feeling twitched her stomach. It was like… a bummer. "Maybe they left already", she stated.

"Could be… Do you want to turn back? There's nothing to see here."

"Yes there is!" Cristina exclaimed. "We're here to spy the Averys, not the storm hunters. Seriously, if you don't stop doing that, I'm going to tell Arizona that you're chasing men here."

"Hey! Arizona gets to hang out with hot nurse chicks without me minding, so it's only fair that I get to please my eyes with some muscle every once in a while. You should try that as well."

"Yea, yea", Cristina said as they walked up the steps to the front door. Feeling like they were at the gates of the underworld, Cristina opened the door and held it open for Callie before going in herself.

The atrium was a combined lobby and restaurant with beautiful high windows, dark brown paneled walls and soft white fitted carpet. The sofas and armchairs were made from red velvet and dark wood, and on the side of the room, next to the staircase there was a grand electric fireplace. The restaurant tables were placed to the left side of the atrium, near the high windows through which the daylight shone. The reception desk was facing the door, and behind it was the door to the kitchen. Cristina noted that there seemed to be some kind of remodeling going on in the kitchen.

"Now what?" Callie whispered. "Mama and her brood are nowhere to be seen. We look suspicious if we just stand here doing nothing."

"We could eat", Cristina suggested.

"I'm not really hungry."

"Me neither."

"Can I help you with anything?" asked the receptionist, a young blonde woman. She was smiling questioningly at the women.

"Um, not really…" Cristina answered. "We're just…"

"We're waiting for our friends", Callie said. "They promised to meet us here. Is it okay if we sit down and wait?"

"Sure, no problem", the receptionist replied and resumed her work.

"Nice one", Cristina said as the women turned on their heels and walked to the nearest sofa. As they sat down, Cristina looked around her one more time but saw no trace of any of the Averys. "They're probably plotting in the backroom", Callie said. She was resting her head against the wall, her eyes closed.

"Probably. Did you notice that they're reforming their kitchen?"

"Yes. As if that's going to do them any good. What they lack is a good chef."

"How can you be so sure? Who knows, that April Avery could be a world-class chef."

Callie shook her head. "A-a, she doesn't look like a chef. Our kind has a certain way we carry our bodies. We walk head high. She didn't have that divine quality."

"If you say so." Cristina closed her eyes, slowly beginning to wonder just what were they doing there. With her eyes closed, she could hear hammering from the kitchen. The receptionist was talking on the phone with a customer. Someone was coming down the stairs. A moment later, Cristina sensed a shadow in front of her just as a cheerful female voice said: "Hey, familiar faces around here."

Cristina opened her eyes, recognizing the voice. Meredith Shepherd was standing in front of the sofa, dressed in an olive drab jacket and jeans. Next to her was Lexie Grey, who had her dark hair on a ponytail and was carrying a shoulder bag. She was smiling a bit timidly at Cristina and Callie.

"Hi", Cristina said as she and Callie quickly got up. "You're still here!"

"Yea, our RV all but fell apart yesterday and the truck needed some maintenance as well, so the men decided to take them to that garage you mentioned."

"Ohh", Callie said and gave Cristina a meaningful look. "That explains it."

"What?" Meredith asked, puzzled.

"Nothing", Cristina said, ignoring Callie's devilish grin. "We just saw that your vehicles were gone and thought you had already left."

"Nope, we're still here. And by the look of things, we're going to stay here for a while. At least until our cars have been fixed."

"Ouch. To be stuck in here, of all places", Callie said.

"I wouldn't say that", Meredith said with a smile. "It's nice to be able to relax and spend time somewhere for a change. You know, look around and go sightseeing."

"You'll be lucky to find any sights worth seeing in this town", Cristina said. "Of course it's nice to walk around and enjoy some fresh air, but I wouldn't expect too much."

"We'll see. We were just about to go on a tour. The guys just abandoned us here so Lexie and I figured that we might as well go for a walk if we're going to stay here. I know!" Meredith's face suddenly lit up. "Would you like to come with us? We'd love to have someone with us to show us around and tell us about the town."

Cristina and Callie looked at each other. "Well…"

"Please, it would be an honor. Plus you would most likely save two tourist girls from getting lost, even though I know Lexie has already memorized the town map."

"It was a small map, there was hardly anything to memorize", Lexie said with a modest voice.

Cristina glanced at Callie. "Well, I guess we could join you for a tour. Right, Callie?"

"I don't see why not. It's not like we have anything else to do."

"Great!" Meredith was beaming. "Let's get this show on the road, then!"


End file.
